By the book: Curl up with the most anticipated books of winter

Saturday

Frigid weather demands copious cups of cocoa and a well-stocked bookshelf. This winter, there’s a little something for all readers, everything from thrillers to historical novels to fantasy.

Southern noir has become a popular genre, and one of its latest additions is “Sugar Run” by Mesha Maren. Jodi McCarty is released from prison and falls in love with Miranda, a troubled young mother living in a motel room with her children. Together they head toward what they hope will be a fresh start. “Sugar Run” has been praised for gritty yet gorgeous prose and was named one of “Southern Living's” Best New Books of Winter 2019 (Jan. 8).

One of my favorite novels in recent years was “The Age of Miracles” by Karen Thompson Walker, which imagined the havoc on a world where the earth’s rotation slowed. The author is back with another original concept. What happens when everyone in a small college town falls under a sleeping sickness? Walker answers that question in her latest work “The Dreamers” which mingles a love story with the tragedy of endless sleep (Jan. 15).

The movie “Get Out” exposed the perils of being black in America with a mixture of humor and horror. In a similar vein, the satirical novel, “We Cast A Shadow” by Maurice Carlos Ruffin offers a drastic solution to modern-day discrimination. What if there were a medical procedure that could erase all indicators of race from one’s appearance? An attorney from a small Southern town considers the option for his mix-raced child in an effort to make his son’s life easier (Jan. 29).

If you have a yen to immerse yourself in the cabaret life of Bohemian Paris in 1929, look no further then “The Age of Light” by Whitney Scharer. The novel tells the story of Vogue model-turned-renowned photographer Lee Miller, and her search to forge a new identity as an artist after a life spent as a muse. Miller leaves behind the glamour of Paris to become one of the first female war correspondents. With three starred trade reviews and a rave blurb from Celeste Ng, this debut novel promises to be one of the biggest books of early 2019 (Feb. 5).

Can’t get enough of “Games of Thrones? If so, “Black Leopard Red Wolf” is a must-read. Myth, fantasy, and history come together to explore what happens when a mercenary is hired to find a missing child. The author, Marlon James creates an intricate, Tolkien-like world that is the first in a trilogy (Feb. 5).

If you’re looking for a fun and fizzy Southern family saga to get you through the chilly nights, consider “American Pop” by Snowden Wright. The Forsters of Mississippi are founders of the world’s first major soft-drink company and the story of their influence over the generations makes for an entertaining Southern gothic read (Feb. 5).

What’s this year’s “Gone Girl?” A likely contender may be "My Lovely Wife" by New Orleans author Samantha Downing. Everyone knows that marriages can get stale, and one couple chooses a novel way to liven up their union: getting away with murder. “My Lovely Wife” has been described as “Dexter” meets “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” With rave reviews from Publishers Weekly and author Harlan Coben, this thriller is likely to make a splash (albeit a bloody one) this winter (March 26).

Writers Weekend in Augusta. The annual Writers Weekend will be held at Augusta University Summerville campus Jan. 25-27. The keynote speaker is Fiona Sze-Lorrain, a poet, translator and harpist. Other notable speakers include Whit Stillman, best known for his Oscar nominated-film "Metropolitan," and Cinelle Barnes, author of the memoir, "Monsoon Mansion." A full schedule of speakers and events can be found at http://literaryaugusta.com/writers-weekend/.

Do you have local literary news? Email it to karin.gillespie@gmail.com. By the Book is published monthly on last Sundays.

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